updated 07:56 am EST, Wed January 29, 2014

Invitations to test game streaming service sent to PlayStation 3 owners

Sony has reportedly started sending out invitations to beta test its PlayStation Now streaming service. Taking place ahead of its expected launch in the United States this summer, the private beta will allow users to play PlayStation 3 titles without needing to download the game beforehand, with players able to stream games to a console over the Internet.

The invitation spotted byEngadget notes that beta participants will be able to provide feedback to the PlayStation Now team, though apparently it is being limited to users in the LA and DC areas. The requirements for the Gaikai-powered service are also relatively low, requiring only a PlayStation 3 on a wired network connection, with at least a 5 Mbps Internet connection. The full service will in theory work with other PlayStation devices in the future, such as the PlayStation 4 and the PS Vita.

Another rumor from Eurogamer's Digital Foundrysuggests that there could also be more backwards compatibility from the PlayStation 4 than originally thought, excluding what PlayStation Now offers. Sources of the report claim that only PlayStation 3 titles will be made available over PlayStation Now, though PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles could be downloaded and run on an emulator instead of being streamed. The older titles could also receive some visual enhancements in order to make them more suitable for HD televisions. Sony has yet to make any official announcement of such backwards compatibility functions of the PlayStation 4.